Karashin a sharp shooter

Matthew Karashin of Upper St. Clair helped the University of Michigan rifle club to a gold medal at the 2013 NRA Intercollegiate Rifle Club Championships, held at Fort Benning in Georgia.

The Wolverines beat Penn State and Clemson for the top spot. They racked up a 4,363 score while the Nittany Lions finished as runner-up with 4,289 and the Tigers totaled 4,277 points.

Karashin participated in the championships at both the individual and team levels. He qualified for the individual smallbore rifle competition by finishing as one of the top 30 ranking individuals in club competition in the nation.

The University of Michigan team qualified for the championships by finishing as one of the top three squads in its section.

In 2012, Karashin received a bronze medal for his contribution to Michigan’s third-place showing behind champion Michigan State and runner-up Penn State in the finals.

Since he will complete his undergraduate studies in December, Karshin will be unable to help the Spartans defend their title in 2014. He will shoot in minor competitions this fall while finishing up his studies.

Karashin maintains a 4.0 GPA in aerospace engineering endeavors. He is spending the summer in Ann Arbor working on the Michigan Autonomous Aerial Vehicle (MAAV) for entry in the 2013 International Robotics Competition. This is his first year working on the project.

The son of Dr. Elizabeth and W. Chuck Karashin of Upper St. Clair was a national merit finalist in high school. A four-year member of the USC rifle team, he lettered three seasons for the Panthers.

Hufnagel a champ

Jacob Hufnagel, 8, of Upper St. Clair captured the national championship in Major League Baseball’s Pitch, Hit and Run competition.

The finals were held during festivities at the All-Star Game, which was won by the American League over the National League stars, which included five Pirates.

In addition to winning the national title, Hufnagel had the opportunity to shag fly balls during the Home Run Derby held at Citi Field, home of the New York Mets.

The son of Jeff and Michele Hufnagel was also an NFL Punt, Pass and Kick champion.

Happ an all-star

Ian Happ of Mt. Lebanon is spending his summer playing in the prestigious Cape Cod Baseball League for the Harwich Mariners in Massachusetts. The second baseman, one of only three freshmen on the Mariners’ roster, is currently tied for seventh in the league with a .349 batting average through 22 games. He has recorded 29 hits with 12 RBIs and 14 runs scored and has added eight stolen bases.

In a game against the Brewster Whitecaps recently, he cranked two home runs in his first two at bats and added a single and a double to lead the Mariners to a 10-3 victory.

Happ will play in the league’s all-star game July 27 at Red Wilson Field in Yarmouth. The will be televised nationally on Fox College Sports beginning at 4:30 p.m.

Happ will start for the East Division as the designated hitter. Happ was chosen to one of the 25-man rosters by the managers of the 10 Cape League teams. He is one of only five college freshmen chosen as an all-star, and one of only two who will start in the game.

Happ recently completed his freshmen year at the University of Cincinnati. He started all 56 games for the Bearcats and led the team with 41 runs scored, 13 doubles, six homeruns and 47 walks. He recorded a team-high .322 batting average, .483 slugging percentage and a .451 on-base percentage. His 47 walks led the Big East Conference while he placed fifth with 25 stolen bases.

The Almanac’s 2012 MVP earned All-America honors for his play this spring.